ARTICLES ABOUT JEFFREY LORIA BY DATE - PAGE 3

MIAMI - The Marlins obviously haven't padded attendance enough through sweet deals like allowing fans over 55 into Thursday games free or giving away select tickets for a $1.25 service charge at select bars. So on Saturday night, they really ran a risky promotion to beef up their major league-worst crowds. Jeffrey Loria walked in the house. In Game No. 43, in the top of the second inning, with the Marlins trailing, the team owner made his way to his field-side seat at Taxpayer Park for the first time this year.

Ah, Opening Day. The crack of the bat. The smell of the grass. The sight of Marlins fans contorting in anger again and again. If there's one thing baseball fans have practice with in South Florida, it's how to view the glass 94 percent empty before the home opener. A 1-5 start isn't even the news before Monday's first pitch. This email question from Marlins fan Alec Taylor is: "I want to claim this is the angriest I've been before the season of any team in South Florida history, but I don't want exaggerate my emotions.

I may be in the big minority on this one, but I am still going to attend baseball games in South Florida this year. But no, I won't be giving my money to Jeffrey Loria, aka Dr. Evil, the owner of the Marlins, who open their season today in Washington. I prefer to buy my tickets on the secondary market - cheaper, easier, and the money doesn't get into Loria's pocket. I can still get my baseball fix, and not contribute to the man who who is ruining baseball for too many fans.

When I draw the rare cartoon about a sports topic, I defer to the expertise of my opinion page colleague and occasional debate adversary, Gary Stein. Gary feels about professional sports, and baseball in particular, the way I feel about opera - which is to say, passionately. Each of us can be moved to tears when in the presence of greatness in our preferred field of interest. In Gary's case, however, the tears lately have been those of anguish. I have no problem mentioning the name of Jeffrey Loria, owner of the Miami Marlins, in my copy.

Forbes released its annual MLB team valuations Wednesday and put the Miami Marlins' worth at $520 million. That's a 16 percent increase over last season, but the Marlins still rank as the 26th most valuable franchise out of 30, ahead of only the Pirates ($479 million), Athletics ($468 million), Royals (457 million) and Rays ($451 million). According to Forbes, the Marlins also were one of six franchises with a negative operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization)

Ex-Marlins catcher John Buck has monitored the back and forth between his old teammates and his old bosses. He wants no part of it. Traded to Toronto as part of the 12-player blockbuster last offseason, Buck is now a member of the New York Mets and he couldn't be happier. “I'm just glad it's just baseball,” said Buck, who the Blue Jays flipped to the Mets as part of the R.A. Dickey deal. “Everything we're dealing with, every conversation it's nice to be here where it's just baseball and not having to deal with that.” In the aftermath of owner Jeffrey Loria's public relations tour earlier this week, both Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle reiterated comments that the Marlins front office lied to them.

The Miami Marlins, specifically owner Jeffrey Loria's public relations campaign, were the subject of ESPN's Outside The Lines Wednesday. Host Bob Ley interviewed Team President David Samson, Miami Herald columnist Greg Cote, ESPN prospects guru Keith Law and ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell. Law gave his take on the mega deal with the Blue Jays, saying the Marlins got the short end of it based on the veteran talent they gave up. He accused the Marlins of prioritizing payroll relief over getting the best possible players back.

Sometimes the best marketing campaign is no marketing campaign. Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria should learn that. He's on a three-day media blitz to nowhere - The Tour of the Make Believe - in which his message comes across somewhere between delusional and depressing with lines like this:. "I will tell you that on Saturday night I was at the Food and Wine Festival," he said. “I was approached by maybe 20 or 30 people. All of them congratulated me, said you had to do what you did. To a person.

MIAMI He spoke about the past, but Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria wants everyone focused on the future. Meeting with local media Monday for the first time since the club's scorched earth regular and offseason, Loria apologized for the disastrous inaugural campaign at Marlins Park. What he isn't sorry about is how the organization has embarked on building a sustainable winner, even if it means getting steamrolled for a season or two. "I'm sorry we built this amazing ballpark and fans are feeling the way they do, but we did this for a reason," Loria said during the informal gathering in the Marlins Park Diamond Club.

It wasn't an unequivocal no. Asked whether the Marlins have reason to re-think their no no-trade clause policy, owner Jeffrey Loria acknowledged it may be necessary at some point. "It ties us up, but who knows what will happen down the road," Loria said, during an informal gathering with reporters Monday at Marlins Park. "There are some free agents who may demand it, but we have to wait and see. " Added President David Samson: "Players have a window when they make money. If you offer the most money, they'll play.